Fallen Chapter Twenty-Two

 

           Chapter Twenty-Two

 

 Appalled I looked around the large room, the paned window was open, letting in a light breeze, the bed sat close to the window, not in the middle but closer to the one wall. The bedspread was dark red, like a rust or brick, it was really soft and comfortable but I could not enjoy the comfort because as I looked towards the door I saw Marcus, sitting on a black chair, draped over the side of the bed. He had one arm outstretched towards me as if he had been holding my hand while I slept.

 “Marcus, what the hell! How did I get here?” I had not meant to yell but I was so upset at being in his bed I could not help it.  

 He started awake, jumping at the sound of my voice. He jumped up and looked around, seeming to search for any trouble.

 “Marcus, there is nothing here; I just want to know how I got here?” I could not hold on to my anger he looked ridiculous. His hair was standing up and his eyes were still half closed.

  Holding on to my anger was hard but my humor fled just as fast. I felt my face fall in to a frown, and my shoulders slump.

 “Oh your awake, I’m sorry.” Marcus had come out of his daze and was staring at me.

 “What am I doing in your bed Marcus?” I was staring at my hands my shoulders still slumped.

 “I found you on the kitchen floor; I did not want it to look like you were trying to run away. I carried you up to your room but it smelled like rotting flesh. Did something die in your room?” He looked at me questioningly.

 What could I tell him, that a dead guy came to me last night and told me that Nicolai would come for me?

 “Oh, um, I don’t know. I woke up last night to the smell and had to get out of there.”

 “Okay, but why were you on the floor of the kitchen, the couch is much more comfortable.”  He seemed to understand my reasons for not going to Cooper’s room and was tactful enough not to mention it. I was thankful for his consideration but still a little uncomfortable being in his bed, even if it was innocent enough.

 “Colby is going to let Cooper die.” I could not feel the pain of the words; I was numb, unfeeling and unseeing.

 Marcus did not say anything for a long time, I finally looked up at him and he was staring out the window. He seemed to be thinking hard about something. Looking at Marcus, something stirred inside of me, something that made no sense. The feeling was fast and fleeting but I still felt it. I shook myself mentally and went to move out of the bed. Marcus stopped me, grapping my arm and pulling me back down on the bed. He took a seat next to me, sitting to close for comfort, I moved away.

 “We have to save Cooper.” It was not a question but a statement, Marcus was going to help me save Cooper.

 “You’re going to help me? Why?” I was confused and elated at the same time.

 “Because I care for you and I won’t let the man you love die. I cannot bare to see you like that, to see you cry as you did last night. It broke my heart. I could hear you down here; your room is right above mine.” He flushed red but he never looked away from my face, staring in to my eyes.

 That caught me off guard. I had not known that my room was right above his, I wonder if he heard me screaming at the dead man.  

 “But what about my future, you said that if I didn’t stay here I would join Nicolai.” I did not want to say the truth, I shuttered at the thought, I wanted to ignore it but I knew I could not it had to be addressed.

 “That future has changed since I decided to help you. The other future is still possible but with my help we should be able to avoid it.” He looked a little worried but his voice was steady and I believed him. We could stop my other future, if we worked together.

 I left Marcus’s room after we made some plans. Heading up the stairs I ran in to Alorha and Toshia, they both looked like they had been crying; their eyes were red and puffy. They did not even go out of their way to bump in to me, instead as we passed both Alorha and Toshia grabbed and hugged me. They did not say anything, they just squeezed and I hugged back, thankful for the contact. After a minute the released me, smiling weakly, and started back down the stairs.

   I headed straight for the bathrooms, locking the door behind me I hesitant to look in to the mirror. If Alorha and Toshia’s faces were red and puffy, what would mine look like. I stood in front of the mirror afraid to look up, to see the damage of my night of terror and crying. I shook myself and looked up at the same time.

 I let out a hysterical laugh and started to cry again. The night had not been friendly. My eyes were swollen and more than a little red, I had red splotches all over, and my nose was red. How could Marcus not laugh at the sight of me?

 I took more time in the shower than I ever have in my life. Trying to wash all the bad feelings and sadness from my body. I stood under the hot water, trying to relax; it did not work. I was still tense and angry as I entered my room.

 Marcus had been right my room reeked. The dead man had left his decaying flesh smell behind. I opened the window and turned on the fan that I had bought on one of our shopping trips.

 I dressed quickly, trying to get out of the stench. I ran out of my room, leaving the window wide and the fan on high and down the grand stairs towards Marcus’s room when Colby caught me on the stairs.

 “Kennley can I please have a word with you?” She took hold of my elbow and directed me down the stairs towards her room.

 “Okay.” I already knew what she was going to tell me so I began to prepare myself mentally. I could not let her see that I planned to save Cooper, that I was putting us all at risk.

 Colby’s room was larger than the one Marcus has and had two paned windows on the far side. Her four-poster bed stood in front of one of the windows, directly in the middle of the room, she had a four-draw dresser and a vanity that was piled with make-up and other accessories.

 I stood in the door a little shocked, I had never seen anything like Colby’s room and I was showing it. My mouth hung open and I whooshed out a breath I was holding. Colby grabbed my elbow again and led me to a little blue couch I had not noticed before. I plopped down and folded my arms across my chest, squeezing my ribs together, afraid that my heart might break out of my chest.

 “Kennley dear, I just wanted you to know that we found Cooper.” She paused here expecting a reaction but when she did not get one, she continued.

 “He is at the harbor; peer 20, in a warehouse that we have discovered belongs to Nicolai. We have scouted out the situation and tried to infiltrate his warehouse but the security is too great, we would all die before we even got close enough to save Cooper.” Her voice broke on Cooper’s name and I knew that she was truly sorry that she could do nothing for him.

 “I’m so sorry Kennley but we can’t save him, there is nothing we can do and we cannot send you that would be disastrous.” Tears slid down her cheeks and she grabbed my cold hands in hers.

 “It’s…okay Colby. I understand.” I shook with sobs; I had tried to contain this, to keep it from showing but even knowing what she was going to say I still could not keep the tears from coming. I could still lose Cooper and I do not think I am strong enough to cope with that.

 I stood up and quickly walked from the room, not wanting to talk to Colby, afraid I might blow up at her for no reason. Leaving Colby with her hands outstretched towards me, she looked hurt but I just could not stand to be in the room any longer. Her job was to protect the Stars not the Watchers and the Watchers job was to protect the Stars not each other. Why couldn’t there be someone to protect the Watchers?

 Well at least there was one Watcher that would be protected; Cooper would not perish because of me, for me, for what I am.

Reviews

[Ron B]

Still exciting, still rocking.

[ShadowWolf]

Another good chapter that is hopefully building up to a rescue attemtp?

[Xfaerie corpseX]

AWWWWW i love it! and marcus. psh...i like him now...i hate colby though. they should go all kick butt lol. HA! LOVE LOVE LOVE THE STORY!!! AWSOME AWESOME AWESOME